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Targets to tackle poverty
31/01/2008
A wide-ranging discussion on how economic growth can be harnessed to make Scotland wealthier and fairer for all was launched today.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Nicola Sturgeon, said the debate would go "to the heart of the kind of Scotland we want to build for the future".
The discussion document will go out to key groups whose ideas will then help chart the way ahead. But crucially, a series of public meetings involving those affected by poverty themselves will encourage people to give their views.
The discussion document will confirm ambitious targets to create a wealthier and fairer Scotland. These targets are to increase the overall income and the proportion of income earned by the three lowest income deciles as a group by 2017; and to narrow the gap in participation between Scotland's best and worst performing regions by 2017.
A new framework will be developed across departments to ensure that, all in Scotland can share in the opportunities provided by sustainable economic growth.
The new Single Outcome Agreements with councils will mean this approach will also be shared across central and local government.
A central theme of the approach will be to make sure as many people as are able are in quality employment, to tackle the root causes of poverty. This will be combined with help for people to overcome barriers to work that may be in their way, such as lack of skills, ill health or discrimination on grounds of race, age or gender.
Nicola Sturgeon said:
"As I speak, almost one in every five Scots - 880,000 - is living in poverty. This is quite simply unacceptable - a tragedy which we will not tolerate and that is why making poverty history in Scotland will be central to everything we do.
"Last November we published our spending plans and our Government Economic Strategy. These are the twin pillars of a new age of ambition in Scotland.
"Our history and our instincts tell us that Scotland's people are our greatest asset - and that is why people will remain at the heart of our approach.
"Our strategy recognises that economic growth is not only about growing the economy and releasing Scotland's entrepreneurial and creative talents. It is also about sharing our increased prosperity and ensuring that all in Scotland can flourish."
The Poverty Alliance and Cosla have been closely involved with the development of the discussion paper and will help drive forward the resulting framework for tackling poverty. The discussion will run from now until the summer and the framework will be in place before the end of 2008.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said:
"The Poverty Alliance strongly welcomes the new discussion paper on poverty and disadvantage.
"Despite the progress that has been made in recent years in Scotland in tackling some aspects of poverty, particularly child poverty, there is much more that needs to be done and we hope that the consultation will help identify how all those with an interest in tackling poverty, from local community and voluntary organisations, to local government, health boards and enterprise companies, can play their role.
"We are particularly pleased that the Scottish Government is showing real commitment to finding ways to include the voices of those who are directly affected by poverty in this discussion process.
"We share the Scottish Government's desire to get to the root causes of poverty: unemployment, low pay, lack of services and discrimination. We are hopeful that this new discussion paper will stimulate the ideas and solutions that will ultimately deliver a real impact on poverty and disadvantage in Scotland."
COSLA Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing and Health, Councillor Harry McGuigan, said:
"Social Inclusion, including the anti-poverty agenda, is a key priority for COSLA members. We will be working in partnership with the Scottish Government to consult on poverty and disadvantage in Scotland as a first step in developing an approach that achieves both National and Local priorities.
"This discussion paper points to the need for a focus on prevention as well as mitigating the effects of poverty and what is needed to move people out of poverty. COSLA welcomes the opportunity to seek stakeholder views on what an anti-poverty framework for Scotland should look like."
Today's announcement sees the Scottish Government building on its spending commitments, outlined in November 2007, which included more than half a billion pounds of investment over the next three years to help tackle poverty and regenerate some of Scotland's most deprived communities.
The plans included the creation of the new Fairer Scotland Fund, worth £435 million over 2008-11. The simplified fund, which replaces seven previous funding streams, will give Community Planning Partnerships a clearer picture of the money available to them for tackling poverty and deprivation and give them greater flexibility to direct cash towards projects that will make the biggest difference to people's lives - particularly those which help to improve employability, skills and self-confidence, to get at the root causes of poverty.
In addition, a record £87 million is to be invested in Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs) over the same period, which aim to revitalise some of Scotland's most deprived communities by bringing new jobs, housing and leisure facilities to areas afflicted by entrenched poverty.
The new Fairer Scotland Fund takes into account a number of contributor funds, specifically: Community Regeneration Fund, Community Voices Fund, Working for Families, Work force Plus, More Choices More Chances, Financial Inclusion, Changing Children's Services.
Allocation of 75 per cent of the fund is based on area measures of deprivation from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2006. 25 per cent of the fund's allocation is based on individual measures of deprivation using the income domain of SIMD 2006.